A leaked photo appears to offer the first look at Sony’s latest version of the DualShock joypad, although it’s not the break from the past some may have imagined.

A new controller for the PlayStation 4 controller has been rumoured for several months now, with suggestions that it will be the most significant redesign since the PS one era.

Most of the rumours have suggested that that the controller will feature a touchpad similar to the one on the back of the PS Vita and/or some sort of touchscreen display.

The image above certainly seems to feature a touchscreen, although it’s so small it’s hard to imagine it being particularly useful. The photo first turned up at website Destructoid, but although there’s no explanation for where it came from apparently ‘multiple sources’ have confirmed it’s real – but an early prototype.

How much the final design might differ from the prototype is unknown, as is the function of the strange blue light at the top. Assuming it is something significant, and not just a result of being a jury-rigged prototype we’d imagine it’s something to do with motion controls and the PlayStation Eye – similar to the way the light-up end of the PlayStation Move wand works.

The analogue sticks seem to have changed design in the prototype and there’s now a fairly hefty-looking speaker built-in, but otherwise the controller appears to look and work the same as always.

One of the other big new features though is alleged to be biometric sensors, to tell how stressed or excited you’re getting. These would presumably be in the handles, but we can’t tell from the photo whether there’s any hint that they’re included.

It shouldn’t be a long wait to find out what the final design looks like though, as the new controller is expected to be unveiled, alongside the PlayStation 4 itself, at a press event in the U.S. next week.